


Lessons in Suspicion and The Grand Game

by froobie



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Fluff, but not the actual sexy times sorry, implication of sexy times, murder mystery novels, reading time, snuggles, trashy orlesian literature
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-21
Updated: 2015-10-21
Packaged: 2018-04-27 11:13:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5046163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/froobie/pseuds/froobie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Solas and Lavellan snuggle up and discuss the mystery in her current trashy Orlesian novel.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lessons in Suspicion and The Grand Game

The sun had just disappeared behind the mountain peaks, flooding her quarters with an orange glow. Fira shifted her back against his chest as she closed the book in her hands and set it in her lap. His hand gently patted her thigh in response to her sudden movements. 

She gave a breathy hum and rested her head back against his shoulder to stare at the stones in the ceiling. 

Solas snapped his book shut with one hand and dropped it onto the back of the sofa before wrapping both arms around her. He squeezed her close and bent forward to lay a soft kiss against her neck.

“How is your book, vhenan?” he asked in a low soft tone, lifting his head to rest his chin on her shoulder. Fira turned slightly to glance at him and they shared a grin. 

The reading material she grew up with had been entirely scholarly. She had enjoyed learning and took great pride in the knowledge she had gained from her studies. Recently, however, she had been consuming Orlesian mystery novels at an almost shameful pace. 

When the library was first set up in Skyhold she had gone there in search of books on shemlen politics and history. It wasn’t necessarily a topic she wanted to learn about but she knew it was important to the success of the Inquisition, and by extension the lives of everyone in Thedas. At the time she had also hoped an academic goal would be an adequate diversion from her rapidly growing infatuation with her resident fade expert, who she was convinced had no interest in her beyond their professional relationship. 

In that first stack of books that she lugged up to her quarters there had been a book called _The Game is Easy_ by Sister Agathetta Christopher. She assumed it was some sort of simplified instructional guide to playing The Grand Game, which did appeal to her, but once she cracked it open she quickly realized it was fiction. A story. A thrilling story with sex and intrigue and spying and lying. It wasn’t instructional but it _was_ about The Game, and that was enough for her to rationalize devouring the entire thing in one night. She was hooked. Within the week she had Josephine order at least a dozen more Orlesian mystery novels, informing her that they were rife with practical application of The Game that she desperately needed to understand. She hadn’t been sure if Josephine was on board with that excuse but Fira didn’t really care as long as she got her books.

Her current read was simply titled _Secrets_ , in which a group of nobles are invited to a soirée at the mansion of a mysterious foreigner. Everyone is being blackmailed and there is a new murder in almost every chapter. It is delightful. 

When Solas had discovered her obsession with the genre, she had found him surprisingly fascinated by the stories and characters. It became standard routine that Fira would keep him updated on whatever she was reading so they could theorize together. Though they often disagreed, turning the game into more of a contest to see who could solve the mystery first. 

“Well…” she sank back further into him. “...yet another seemingly random individual showed up to the party and was once again promptly and mysteriously murdered.” she slid her fingertips down the fleecy fabric of his sleeves until she found his hands, lacing her fingers with his.

“Ah and who was it this time?” His voice was low and she could feel his breath behind the shell of her ear.

“A bard! She showed up saying she was hired to come sing at the party. She died _very_ quickly.” Fira explained matter-of-factly. 

“I see.” Solas freed one of his hands from her grasp to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “You’d think with all the murders the party guests would stop splitting up and leaving people alone.” 

“Oh they didn’t this time! She was shot in the throat with a poisoned dart the moment she walked through the foyer.”

“Ah. Very resourceful.” He pressed a kiss into the soft skin next to her ear. “And where does your theory stand now?”

“I still think it’s Madame Ruby.” she began. “Her reason for being blackmailed is still so flimsy compared to everyone else. The woman runs a brothel and spy network. How could she possibly not be behind all the blackmail and murder?”

Solas thought for a moment. “But why would she be killing the help and all the strangers who show up unexpectedly?” 

“Well I think they all must be her spies.”

“You think they’re all spies??” he chuckled.

Fira glanced back at him for a moment to throw him a look. “Yes. I think she is behind all the blackmail and she is using the cover of this bizarre party to off the spies she no longer finds useful.” 

“That is...an interesting theory.” 

She could hear the smile in his voice. Annoyed that he was being so incredulous she pulled herself out of his embrace and turned herself around to face him. 

Solas arched an eyebrow at her as she scooted herself forward to cross her legs, resting her knees atop his thighs.

“You don’t find it believable?” she narrowed her eyes at him as a tiny half smile formed on his lips.

“It is not...not believable I suppose. But I do not think it is the case.” 

“Ok then, who do you think the murderer is?” Fira folded her hands in her lap and stared at him expectantly.

The obnoxiously adorable half smile on his lips grew slightly as he shifted his body to puff up his posture. “I believe Comtesse Carrion would be a far more likely culprit.”

“The Comtesse?? Why???” Fira made sure to appear highly amused by his theory. He could see the game she was playing though and merely smirked at her display.

“She is highly reactionary and emotional. As one of the elder most guests at the party one would assume she has lasted so long in The Game by being at least marginally good at it.”

“Sure...” Fira tilted her chin and waited for him to continue.

“So it is obviously an act to divert suspicion.” he concluded.

He had a point. Fira involuntarily glanced to the side as she mulled over the notion. “It could be...she _is_ the only guest who refuses to acknowledge her crime.” 

“Yes, she is excessively paranoid.” 

“So she assumes everyone is involved in the plot to blackmail her.”

“Yes, it seems that way to me. I wouldn’t be surprised if she finishes off everyone at the party and returns home to have a bath and a celebratory glass of brandy.” There was a hint of bitterness in his tone causing Fira to grin, though she tried to hide it.

“Wow…” 

“What?” 

“Uuuh nothing. That’s...that’s a good theory.” she assured him in a teasing tone and gave him a patronizing pat on the shoulder. But when she moved to return her hand to her lap he caught her by the wrist and pulled her body into his.

Surprised, Fira opened her mouth to speak but was immediately smothered by his lips, and when she felt his warm hands creep under her tunic to find the sensitive skin on her back she knew the discussion was over. 

It was around a week later that Fira finally found the time to finish her book. That same evening Solas came to her quarters and as they laid in bed, a tangle of sheets and limbs, he thought to ask her about it.

“Oh…” Fira paused and thought for a moment on how to proceed. “Well. The good news is we were both right.”

“We were both right?” he echoed back to her in playful tone. “How so?”

“Well. Yes...but not exactly. It turns out they all did it. Each guest killed someone they recognized as being involved with whatever they were being blackmailed for. And it was Serah Figgure who was blackmailing them all. Oh and _also_ Wellington was the real Serah Figgure.” she paused when she realized she was babbling.

“Ah.” Solas chuckled as he brought a hand flat against her back to stroke her bare skin with the side of his thumb. “That is...unexpectedly plausible actually.”

“Yes, it does line up rather well with what we saw at the Winter Palace, doesn’t it?” she laughed and shifted her body to lay against him more comfortably.

Solas hummed in the affirmative. “..And what happened to them all in the end?”

Fira popped her head up and grinned at him. “Well it turns out the apostate was actually a member of the city guard, attending the party undercover to investigate _such an odd meeting of shady individuals_. So in the end, they were all arrested for their _many_ crimes.” 

“Ah, of course.” he conceded sarcastically. 

“Of course.” she repeated in the same tone.

“Very Orlesian.” Solas added.

“Yes.” Fira laughed ”Very.”

**Author's Note:**

> Can you tell what she's reading? (spoilers: it's clue)


End file.
